Thursday, July 30th - Amsterdam, The Netherlands

This morning was another slow start and then after another great breakfast at the pub next door we all went our separate ways.  I went to the Rijksmuseum and that was about all I could manage - other than dinner at the pub next door.

The Rijksmuseum or State Museum is the national museum and dedicated to art and history in the Netherlands.  The building itself is huge.  The museum was started in 1800 but changed buildings several times until the current building was designed and built in 1885.  It was recently totally renovated over a 10-year period and just reopened in 2013.  In 2014 it was the most visited museum in the country hosting almost 2.5 million visitors.  There were certainly a lot of people there while I was visiting, which wasn't surprising, but the interesting thing was that almost all of the visitors were young people.  There were some old retirees but I be we were less than 20% of the entire group.  Most were young people visiting together or young families and it was really great to see so many young people enjoying a museum / art gallery.

The museum has over a million pieces within its collection - dating form 1200 to 2000 - but only displays about 8,000 at any one time.  Given how long it took me to get through everything, I think that might be a good thing.  I will start by saying that the 20th century displays were definitely not my favourite and, in my opinion, not even worth going to see.  Compared to previous centuries, I think we come up rather lacking in the art department.  Luckily that was the smallest part of the exhibit.

I did the highlights audio and it was great.  It was supposed to take 90 minutes but I took about 2 hours, mainly because I was looking at the other things in between the highlights.  Then I went back and did the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th century highlights tapes as well.  The audio tour was great.  The handset also had a video screen so when you were at certain objects (like a writing desk) you could watch a video on the screen that showed the drawers being opened so you could see the inside as well.  It was very helpful and certainly something I had not seen before (or at least I don't remember). For the one picture of King Willem I that showed the royal details, the video compared it to the current King Willem III's official portrait in the same cloak and with the same royal objects.  It was interesting to see how things had changed over three centuries.

One of the main highlights of the museum is Rembrandt's Night Watch.  The picture is very large (unlike some of his small sketches) and takes up a whole wall as you cross the main Gallery of Honour.  It is approximately 12 x 15 feet in size.  It was originally larger but someone at some point cut it down to fit where they wanted to display it, which I guess was common practice years ago.  The picture itself is very nice and definitely worth all the praise but I thought the most interesting part was the self portrait of Rembrandt, or at least the top half of his face, peering over the shoulder of one of the main men.  My audio guide told me that little secret.  

My favourite exhibit was a sculpture of Cupid with his finger to his lips telling us to be quiet.  It was incredibly cute and he had such an impish look on his face.  There was also a cabinet with hundreds of small vials and bottles and containers.  My audio guide showed me how the cabinet opened even further and where the secret compartment were.  None of the containers were over an inch high and they were all labelled and all had their original contents.  There were chemicals and herbs and seeds and just about anything a chemist might need.  The cabinet was from the 18th century and the audio guide suggested that perhaps the cabinet was used for examinations of future chemists.  There was also a large doll house on display, about 6 x 6 feet, with all original materials (wood, iron, porcelain, copper, cloth, etc.) in every room.  It was amazing and my guide said it would have cost just about the same as a real house at the time.

The museum itself is quite magnificent.  There are high vaulted ceilings and large stain-glassed windows.  A road, or at least a bike path, under high arches runs right through the building.  The ceilings in every room are high.  To get from one area of the building to another you had to climb up and down a lot of stairs, which really were hard on the knees.  One flight was 30 stairs so going from the ground floor (0) to the third floor (3) was quite a hike.  There were elevators but they were very slow and always busy so I figured I should keep using the stairs.  It was interesting how they presented everything by date so you had the history and the paintings.  Sometimes it meant you got a large model ship of war and war medals along with the great works of art.  I found the whold thing very enjoyable, except for maybe the 20th century exhibit.

After the museum I went out the back (or maybe the front to them) so I could see the fountains and gardens and ponds.  It was lovely and should have been enjoyed but I had to get back for dinner so off I went.  It took me over half and hour to get back but I stopped to visit some parks and to take some pictures.  I didn't get lost but i was late for dinner.  However, that was fine as they hadn't eaten yet.  Gillian just had a snack and then went off to see The Sound of Music in Dutch.  Randy and I went over to the pub to have dinner a while later.  After that I was too tired to do anything other than sit and do some computer work.  Bed time should have been early but Gillian came back from the show and we talked for quite a while.  Tonight is her last night with us as she starts her journey home tomorrow, and then there will only be two of us.

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Tuesday, July 28th - Amsterdam

We were up and packed and out of our cabin by 8:30 this morning, then had a relaxing breakfast and visit before leaving the ship at 10:30 by taxi to go to our hotel.  The two other couples we have been spending time with on the cruise are both staying in Amsterdam and our hotels are quite close so we are planning at least one more dinner together before people start flying home.

It's cloudy and cool again today with some rain but we must do some sight seeing.  our hotel actually had our room ready (or almost - the maid was just finishing up) when we arrived.  We dropped our bags and decided to walk  to the train station to buy our ticket to Hanover - just a stopover on our way to Leipzig, Germany.  Then we walked to the Doubletree Hotel to leave a message for the one couple from the cruise, which was a pretty silly conversation because we didn't know their last name so the reception clerk had to try and find a Frank and Jean who checked in today.  Eventually she did find one from Edmonton so we knew it was the right one.  The clerk didn't seem to upset about it though.  In fact she even gave us each a wonderful warm cookie.  We then went to the Starbucks in the lobby and had a quick lunch before continuing on.

We then walked to Damplein or Dam Square.  This is a big square with the National Monument to honour those who died in WWII on one side.  This is where they have their Remembrance Day ceremonies but not on November 11th.  I think it was something like February 5th but I'm not sure.  The monument is a 70 foot obelisk with carved figures on the side and very impressive.

Also at The Dam, as the locals call it, is the Koninklijk Paleis or Royal Palace.  This is a huge beautiful building from the 17th century that was built as the City Hall or Stadhus.  The whole building, inside and out, was so impressive that some king along the way decided that it really should be his home and it then became the Royal Palace.  Still today it is used by the King and Queen and visiting royalty.  However, when it is not being used by then, it is open to tourists as it was today.  It was very impressive on the inside but I have to say that it was a bit confusing going through the rooms and listening to the audio guide.  They told us about what each room was used for and sometimes the furnishings seemed to fit that purpose, but other times it was furnished quite differently.  There were some beautiful rooms though and some incredible hallways and statues throughout, and all of the statues were there for a purpose and had a meaning related to the functions of city hall.  Despite the confusion on room furnishings and purposes, I can certainly understand why it is still used by the royal family and visiting dignitaries - and I'm sure there was a lot that we didn't get to see.

Right beside the palace is the Nieuwe Kerk or New Church.  it was built around 1400 so it's not really new to us.  However, at the time it was newer than the old previous church and that's how it got it's name.  We arrived just as they were starting a concert so we were pretty happy about that.  However it turned out to be an organ concert that went on for over an hour.  It was great to listen to but there was nothing to see as the organist was back somewhere behind the big lpipe organ that was on the front wall.  We sat for about three numbers and then we got our audio guides and started touring around the Church.  We could still hear the music so that was nice.  It just saved time to be multi-tasking (and it was less boring!).  For over two centuries this church has been the coronation church for the Dutch monarchy.  King Willem-Alexander was married here and had his inauguration (as they now refer to it) here in 2013 when Queen Beatrix abdicated the throne.  The exhibits in the church included both the church history and royalty so it was a nice mix.

The church is large and in a cross shape.  The ceilings and arches are high and basically white.  At one point the church was more colourfully painted but when the protestants took over they immediately covered up the catholic adornments and took down a lot of the statues so it's a lot plainer now.  The organ is huge and beautiful.  It is supported by 12 cherub statues each playing musical instruments, and a statue of King David is on the top of the organ with more angels playing musical instruments around him.  I'm saying cherubs but technically they were putti.  I'm not sure if there is a difference and I don't have the time or the means to check right now.  

There are a lot of very plain windows in the church.  They are high and arched but just plain glass.  Then there are also some very detailed stained glass windows including one with the kings and queens on it and especially one commemorating the inauguration of Queen Wilhelmina in 1898.  

The pulpit is quite unique and has some wonderful little carvings on it.  It is large and in a very dark wood and above the actual pulpit there are little people carved into the wood.  They were very cute but so small you really needed the binoculars they provided so you could see them.  The dome is held up by four small angels at the top of four columns and you need binoculars to see them too as they are so far up.  It was aa good thing we had the audio guide to tell us where to look.  There are also a lot of graves in the church.  Most of them are the rich and/or famous over the centuries but there are some unknowns as well.  I didn't recognize any of the names so they were all unknowns to me.  

From the Dam we decided to go to Anne Frank Museum.  The line-up to get in was several blocks long and was going to take at least two hours.  I decided not to go as I had already been there.  Randy and Gillian stayed to do the tour and I went back to the hotel.  It took me about 30 minutes to get back to the hotel  or close to it.  I stopped at the pub next door for dinner and ordered steak.  When it came it was more like roast beef but it was tender and juicy and absolutely delicious.  So was the beer, which was pretty funny because I don't normally drink beer but there I was on my own drinking beer - and I even had two it was so good.  

Back at the hotel I showered, did some laundry, wrote this blog, and cleared some e-mails.  Randy and Gillian returned about 10 p.m. rather wet and cold and having stood in line for over two hours but glad they had gone to the museum.  Our room is small with three single beds, two chairs, a couple of small tables, very little floor space and no storage areas.  I think we've figured out where to put our suitcases and how we're going to make things work but it is definitely going to be cozy for the next few days.

Monday, July 27th - Amsterdam, Netherlands

We had arrived in Amsterdam by the time we got up this morning.  It was a cool, rainy day but after breakfast we went off on our tour of the city.  Luckily for us, they decided to scrap the walking tour and give us more of a bus tour as well as our boat tour.

The first stop was at the boat launch, not far from where our ship is docked which is just east of Central Station so very close to everything.  We had a one-hour canal tour in a glass covered (thankfully) can boat and it was really nice despite the weather.  We went past St. Nicolas' church and got the story again of how they do not have Santa Clause on December 25th but instead St. Nicolas brings them candies and presents around December 5th.

We went up and down several of the canal and made our way past many of the highlights of the city including many other churches, Rembrant House, the Anne Frank House, many museums and markets. until we worked our way back past hte train station to the dock again.  We actually had quite a tour in the bus just getting to the boat dock (even though it wan't even a 5 minute walk away from the ship) so I may get a bit confused on what we saw on the first bus ride and what we saw on the canal boat.

After the canal boat trip we got on the bus again and they took us a bit further out of the downtown area so we could see a windmill and also a statue of Rembrant in the same location because he supposedly grew up in a windmill and missed it when he was in the city.  We also drove past the Rijksmuseum and several others out in the museum district.  We saw some buildings from the 1928 Olympics which Amsterdam hosted.  At some point we also saw the Opera House and the main Theatre building.  And I know we drove past the Royal Palace and the coronation church - although they now refer to it as inauguration, not coronation.

Between the bus and the boat ride it is clear to see why Amsterdam is called the 'Venice of the North'.  There are canals and waterways and bridges everywhere.  Lots of people live on their houseboats which were not anything big and fancy and yet with a license and sewer hook-up they were costing $400,000 to 500,000.  And I'm sure we are only talking one or maybe two bedrooms and tiny spaces at that.  Not many of thee houseboats have curtains because the Calvinists were strong here and they believed there should be no secrets or bad behaviour so there was no need for curtains. 

Some of the homes or apartments on land are not much bigger that the houseboats.  Most are very tall and skinny and some of them are actually leaning into their neighbours.  Because Amsterdam is at sea level and doesn't have a solid foundation to build on, pilings are driven into the ground first to provide the foundation.  In the old days these were wood pilings and they could hold a house of  or 6 storeys.  Now they drive steel and concrete pilings 50 feet down and they can build up to 60 storeys.  This is certainly changing the way the city looks.  On the old 5-6 storey buildings they had a hoist at the top peak so big goods could be pulled up and through whatever window it needed to go.  The stairways were too small and narrow to get a fridge or couch or anything up so the hoist was, and still is, the only way to get things in.  Hard to believe in this day and age, but true.  It was also hard to believe that they have rule that you must be making four times the amount of rent being requested before you can rent any where.  Rent is very high so that would certainly rule out a lot of people.

They have lots of green in the city despite the canals and buildings being very close together and some of the streets being narrow.  They had a bad wind storm last Saturday - the same day we were being blown away on the ship - and it blew down many trees and several people were killed.  They are still in clean-up mode and removing trees from streets and canals.  It was definitely windy where we were but I guess it was a lot worse here and in other places

That is about all I can remember for now.  We got back to the ship about 12:30.  Because of the weather I had already decided that I was going to have an easy afternoon and relax in my wonderful accommodation before I had to leave it tomorrow. My first stop was to see if I could get a massage and I could at 12:45 so I had to hurry too my one-hour massage and then had to hurry after to get to the dining room before it closed at 2:00.  I made it on time and ate way too much for lunch, then went back to the room and tried to do some packing and sorting through things that had accumulated over the past two weeks.  I also did my banking and some blogging so it was a relaxing afternoon while it was cool, cloudy and drizzling outside.  I think we're all hoping for better weather in the next few days so we can see more of the city while we're here.  If it just rains harder tomorrow, we may get really wet as we try to see the sights.

Our last dinner was fantastic, as expected.  Tonight was just chicken, which sounds simple, but it was delicious.  We have had many great meals (beef, pork, lamb, duck, etc.) and we raved about all of them.  We always had an appetizer, soup, main course and dessert.  Some days we also had an entree before the main course.  And some days we would just order two main dishes because they both sounded good.  The salmon was incredibly good and it was always available as a main course substitute so I sometimes ordered it instead of the soup or appetizer if they didn't sound exciting.  There was definitely no danger of starving on the ship.  And the waiters were wonderful - professional yet very friendly and funny once they got to know us.  Our dinners were always a couple hours long and very enjoyable.  After dinner tonight we just sat in the lounge for a while and talked and filled out our survey forms.  Before long it was almost midnight and time to go to bed for our last night on the Emerald Star.  

It was a long river cruise (don't know the exact distance) over two weeks and we went through 68 locks on 3 rivers/canals (Danube, Main, Rhine) from Budapest to Amsterdam through beautiful countryside and visiting so many interesting and wonderful towns and cities.  The initial cost may have seemed expensive but with everything included it really was a great deal.  And it was definitely a great cruise.  I would highly recommend Emerald Waterways, and especially the Emerald Star, to anyone.

Saturday, July 25th - Rudesheim, Rhine Gorge and Koblenz, Germany

We were up early and off the ship shortly after it arrived in Rudesheim.  This time we got to take a little choo-choo train into the city for a quick tour and commentary as we rode along.  The train dropped us at Siegfried's Music Cabinet for a tour and then we were on our own for a few hours before we had to return to the ship.

Siegfried's Music Cabinet or the Museum of Mechanical Musical Instruments was very interesting.  The whole house (Bromserhof) is now filled with instruments of every kind, shape and size.  One of the really precious one was of a tiny bird less than an inch in length that would chirp away and sing a merry toon.  There were lots of player pianos in various shapes and sizes including a grand that sounded exactly as it should when played by a concert pianist - not mechanical at all.  One piano or organ (can't remember which) had  six mechanical violins above it that added a beautiful sound.  Another machine had a full symphony sound with strings, brass, percussion and piano.  And of course there was one that took up almost the whole wall of one large room and it had all the different characters in miniature playing their instruments.  Overall it was a fun way to start our tour of Rudesheim.

We were all going to take the cable car up to the Niederwold Monument to see the monument and Ehrenfels Castle as well as the sights from up on the hill.  Some of us were then going to ride back down but others were going to walk.  However, because it was cool and very windy, the cable car wasn't running.  That limited our choices greatly.  Some went shopping.  Some went back to the ship to get warm and some just strolled around.  I went down to the castle ad that's about as far as I got.  I did walk down Drosselgasse or the restaurant and bar street to get there.  The street is very narrow and windy and by the time each of the restaurants and bars puts out some tables and chairs for their patrons, there is really not much room at all.  It was quiet when I went through in the morning but I guess it is quite a happening places in the afternoon and evening.

Bromserburg Castle looks quite small from the outside and it now houses the Wine Museum so I decided to go in.  Well, it was a lot larger than it looked and it took me a long time to work my way through the labyrinth of halls and winding stairs to get through all the exhibits.  The castle or fortress is over 1,000 years old and has changed quite a bit over the years.  The first part of the exhibit talked about this.  Then the exhibit got into every imaginable aspect of wine.  It talked about the Romans first growing grapes in the area, the planting and harvesting of grapes, the making of wine, even the making of wine barrels and wine bottles and glasses, and then it had every imaginable example of each of them.  I'd never heard of "drink up" glasses but these had rounded bottoms and could only be set down on their tops.  Bottle wise, they even had a 14 litre champaign bottle for really big celebrations.  So, when you were handed a drink you had to down it all and then set it upside down on the table.  The exhibits went from the 1st century AD with the Romans.  White wine, not red, is best in this area due to the growing conditions.  They also had a wine collection at the end with wine from the area dating from 1727.  It is a very valuable collection.  One 1735 bottle recently sold for 27,500 euros or close to $40,000 - definitely out of my range but I'm not sure I'd want to drink something form the 18th century anyway.

The exhibit was interesting because you really did just ramble from room to room in the castle and there were lots of dark, winding staircases.  At times it was eerie with the wind blowing through.  On one level you got to go out on a terrace but the wind just about blew you over.  Then once you reached the top it was virtually impossible to stand and get a picture but the views were fantastic.   The really neat thing was that it seemed truly like an old castle.  There were even cobwebs in the corners and pigeons flying through some of the rooms.  As I was the only one in the whole place it was definitely an experience and I really enjoyed it.  I don't think I would have liked living there though.  When I finished the tour I had to head back to the ship - although I did stop in a couple of shops just to look around and even ended up buying a pair of light slacks and a top - emphasis on light since I can't afford any more weight in my suitcase.

The afternoon I spent standing on deck as we sailed through the Rhine Gorge and looked at the spectacular scenery.  This is a 65 km stretch that is now a UNESCO world heritage site.  There are chairs on deck but it was so windy that everything was blowing over so they put everything down.  It was all you could do to stay standing at the front rail.  Sometimes the gusts just about blew you over.  However, with my jacket and hat on I was not cold - just windblown.  You could barely keep a camera steady so when I had to switch to my ipad near the end it was really tough.  However, 5 or 6 of us managed to last through the full 2.5 hours of the commentary that took us past 18 castles, many little towns, lots of vineyards, and Loreley Rock.  The latter I had never heard of but it is a very big rock (120 metres high) that the river must go around and of course the ships must go around very carefully as there are smaller rocks below it.  There are a lot of stories about the mermaids of Loreley Rock and even a song written about it, which of course we had to listen to as we sailed past.

The castles were all so different but they were all basically up on the hillsides with only a few down at the water's edge.  There were some that are now abandoned, some that are now hotels or hostels, and some that are museums.  I think there were even one or two private residences.  They certainly kept you taking pictures: as you came up to them, as you were in front of them, as you passed them.  Every view was different and you just couldn't resist taking pictures, which is why the batter on my camera died just before the last few.  And these were the best ones.  Marksburg and Stolzenfels were really quite amazing.  I think part of their appeal was that they were a lighter shade (obviously painted) and not just a stone or brick structure that blended into the background.  Marksburg is the over 700 years old and the only castle on the Rhine that has never been destroyed.  It has of course been changed many times over the centuries.  It is now home to the German Castle Association which is in charge of conserving castles, and it is open to the public.  Stolzenfels was built in the 13th century but destroyed many times.  It was rebuilt in the early 19th century by Crown Prince Frederick William IV of Prussia in a Gothic Revival palace and entertained many visitors including Queen Victoria.  Both of these castles were originally built as fortifications and not as homes and their view of the Rhine allowed them to see all ships and wanderers passing by so they collect any taxes or warn of any intruders.

We arrived in Koblenz around 6 but stayed on board to have dinner.  In retrospect we should have headed out earlier and skipped the dinner so we had more time in town.  We were docked right below the cable car up to the Ehrenbreeitstein Fortress so once we finished dinner we immediately went up the cable car, that was very modern and smooth despite the wind, so we could all go to the festival that was happening up at the fortress.  We had no idea what to expect from a Gaukler und Kleinkunstfestival Festung.  In fact we didn't even know what it meant but we were determined to experience it.

The first thing that we discovered was that the fortress is one of the largest on the Rhine.  We only saw about a tenth of it as we had limited time and not all sections were open at night.  There are 11 different areas and most of them are historic museums of one kind or another (history of the fortress, craft workshops, living quarters, prison, etc.) plus lots of towers and terraces that provided incredible view of the city.  Other museums on site included photography, indulgence (which included wine and chocolate), archaeology, and the State Museum with innovations and inventors over the last 200 years, plus much more.  The Romans had a fortress here and others before them as traces of human habitation dates back to 3,000 BC.  We definitely should have taken more time to see it all, if it was open in the earlier evening.

What we did see was spread out everywhere with stages throughout the complex and people walking around entertaining.  We really liked the Stone Age guys were were very tall rock people  who looked like very realistic stone men.  And while you think they'd move slowly, they actually moved quite quickly and scared a few people having pictures with them.  Other walking shows were also great - some sort of big insect and other similar things.  There were a couple of bands playing in various places but no one that we knew or recognized, and there were comedy shows and some of them were in English.  We ended up in space 4, where there were circus acts happening so we saw some pretty talented contortionists, athletes and trapeze artists who could get their bodies into fantastic poses and hold the positions.  They were definitely very fit and had muscles everywhere.  The acts were short but very enjoyable.

While on the hill we also got to enjoy the sunset from up on the hill and it was very nice.  And on the way down we got to watch the fireworks somewhere below.  We came down about 11 p.m. and most went back to the ship but  couple of us headed toward the old city.  We walked for about half an hour but really didn't see much so, aside from the exercise, it really wasn't all that exciting.  We didn't even make see the castle and it was probably hard to miss.

We were the last two on board except for the crew.  Some of them had gone off to a club in the old town so we just had to wait for them to return before setting sail once again and heading for Cologne.

Sunday, July 26th - Cologne, Germany

We were up early and had breakfast and off for our city tour at 8:45 a.m.  The ship arrived a few hours earlier so some folks were out for walks or runs along the shore but we just seem to manage the deadline for the official tour.  It was definitely cooler out this morning and our little group was the only one outside on the terrace for breakfast.  Most of the guests are Australian and they probably just think, "those crazy Canadians".

We went by bus for a quick 10 minute ride into the old city centre.  We started at the Cologne Cathedral, which is a truly awesome gothic building.  The cathedra is Germany's most-visited building and it is indeed impressive on the outside.  For many different reasons, construction took over 600 years from 1248 to 1842 (easy dates to remember!).  The highest of the two spires is 510 feet tall and ornately decorated all the way up.  You can climb over 500 stairs to get to the top for a city view but we didn't have time for that.  At least that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.  Frank, who is a tri-athlete from Edmonton, is the only one I know who went up.  Perhaps that's another case of "those crazy Canadians."  

We only saw the exterior on our walking tour but I did quickly (and quietly) go into the cathedral after our tour finished.  It has a high vaulted ceiling with clean light-coloured pillars and arches stretching all the way up.  The central area is high but even the side aisles are impressive in their high stark whiteness.  The interior is 150 feet high and almost 500 feet long.  There are side chapels on each side at the back, and that was as far as we were allowed to go because there was a service in progress.  The stain-glassed windows are beautiful and the sun was shining in the one side.  Apparently there are 10,300 square metres of stained glass in the cathedral.  They know this because it was all taken down and stored during the war.  Speaking of the war, the pictures of Cologne after the bombing, which I think was in 1942, are amazing.  Over 10,000 bombs were dropped on the one night and the only building that was still intact at the end was the cathedral.  It was damaged and burned but it was still standing while all around it was rubble.

I was not able to see some of the other important features of the cathedral because of the service.  There is a beautifully carved 13th century Shrine of the Magi that supposedly contains the bones of the three wisemen.  The 14th century choir stalls which seat over 100 are said to have amazing carvings on them, and the 10th century Gero Cross is known for its simplicity.  There were also specific altars and windows I was supposed to notice but didn't.  The whole building is a UNESCO world heritage site - deserved so and perhaps the only one in Cologne.

Now back to the walking tour.  We walked past the Roman Germanic Museum, which I later went through so I'll get back to that later.  We then went to the old city hall - and saying old simply means that it was rebuilt in the 50's or 60's in the same place and with the same design.  They did this for a few buildings but they seem a bit lost within the other buildings that were erected at the same time.  The city hall has over 100 statues on it and they are indicating the important people of Cologne over the years going back to Roman times and ending with the first German chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, who was once mayor of Cologne.   The statues are not the same as on the pre-war building but the thought is the same.  Below the clock on the tower there is sculpture of a man's face with an open mouth.  Each time the clock strikes the man sticks his tongue out.  This was apparently a commentary on the fact that the mayor and the city were screwing the townsfolk by taxing them.  In front of a small building across the square there is a tree.  Behind the tree there is a building with a statue carved into its upper floor and someone is obviously "mooning" city hall.  The city planted the tree after they discovered the other statue and its meaning.

Further along on our tour we passed the Wllraf-Richartz and the Ludwig Museums, which are really more like art galleries I think, and several other churches and cathedrals that I no longer remember the names for.  We passed the 4711 House, where the original eau de Cologne was created in 1709.  It still sells the original perfume and, when we smelled it, we all agreed it was better than any current-day perfume - fresh and light as opposed to strong and over powering.  We also passed several monuments and fountains and squares along the way.  Unfortunately we had to skip the famous Chocolate Museum as it was too far out of the old city centre.  

After our tour finished back at the cathedral I made my quick trip into the cathedral and then went into the Roman Germanic Museum to spend about 45 minutes.  It wasn't nearly enough time but it was still good to see.  The museum is new and large and very open and bright with the cathedral shining down on it through the open ceilings.  The displays were quite remarkable and the Roman exhibits dated from the 1st century BC to about the 3rd century AD.  It included small and large exhibits, everything from tiny coins and ear rings to large portions of the old city wall.  The exhibits also included floor mosaics, statues, busts, pottery, coins, jewelry, coffins, headstones, etc., everything from rulers to eduction to entertainment.  The museum is built over the remains of a Roman villa which was once the home of the famous Dionysus mosaic dating from 220-230 AD.  It is 630 square feet and once adorned the dining room of the villa.  Another mosaic, slightly smaller, showed the scholars of the era, and one of the largest pieces was the almost 50 foot high funeral monument of Lucius Publicius (1st century) which was really impressive.  The museum also has some much older exhibits dating back as far as the 10th millenium BC.  These relics (arrow heads, knives, pottery, tools, etc.) are definitely not Roman and I didn't spend a lot of time looking at them as it was the Roman exhibits I wanted to see.

Cologne was officially settled by the Romans in 38 BC and it was an important trade centre.  By the Middle Ages it had more than 150 churches.  Now it has over 3000 taverns and bars - but most of the churches are still there.  When you drink beer here, kolsch beer, you get a .2 litre glass.  The waiters will keep filing it up every time it gets empty, and put a mark on your coaster, until you eventually place your coaster on top of it.  It's an easy way to know who wants a drink and who doesn't, and at the end of the evening you know exactly how much you have had to drink and how much you owe.  I don't think any of our group had a chance to check out the beer but there were certainly bars open and people drinking before 10 a.m.

We were back on the ship by noon and started sailing down the Rhine towards our final destination of Amsterdam.  It is hard to believe the cruise is almost over.  I think a lot of people are happy to be getting off but I'd be happy to stay on for another month or so - if the destinations kept changing.  Our standard of living is definitely going to drop when we get into our small second-rate hotel in Amsterdam.

It is cool again today but nice.  The cruise is very enjoyable and there are lots of beaches and parks along the route with lots of people out enjoying their Sunday afternoon.  Also lots of campers and bikers and walkers all along the route..  It seems like a very civilized way to spend your weekend.  Along the way we also often see groups of swans along the way.  They seem to be a standard feature on this stretch of the journey.  The land is much flatter here and much different than the Rhine Gorge that we saw yesterday wit all the castles.  It still looks green and like great farmland though.

We are just passing by Dusseldorf and the banks of the river are just packed with people.  There are lots of tents up and there is a bit midway with lots of rides on the other side of the river so I think there must be some kind of a festival happening.  It certainly looks like a bustling city.  We have no more stops though.  We just carry on to Amsterdam where we arrive tomorrow morning.  

This afternoon we had our disembarkation briefing and port talk.  It's still hard to believe we are in our last days of the cruise.  Tonight we had the captain's farewell cocktail which was a quick sip of champagne and a few speeches.  The captain is very nice and we gave him our deep appreciation for getting us through this cruise.  We are still the only ship that made it through all the way and we can't imagine what it would have been like to be bussed the final week of our tour or stuck in one place waiting to get through.  I think I've noted before that a cargo vessel tried to get through just after us and they got stuck so the whole route has been closed ever since.

After dinner which included baked Alaska for dessert complete with a parade around the ship with sparklers (not the cake actually lit) and an introduction to all the staff, we went up to the lounge for the crew show.  It was silly and cute and quite enjoyable - definitely nothing professional but that wasn't expected anyway.  Following that they danced the evening away to more really loud music and after about half an hour I called it a day and went to my cabin.  Only two more sleeps aboard the Emerald Star and then it's time to move on.  So sad.

Friday,, July 24th - Miltenberg, German

We were up early this morning, had breakfast and left the ship in Wertheim at 9 a.m.  The ship was sailing on to Freudenberg and we went by bus to Miltenberg where we had a walking tour of the city.  At 1 p.m. we boarded our ship again to sail past Miltenberg shortly thereafter.  I'm not exactly sure what the logic was but perhaps the ship had to sail slower than what we could go by bus and do our tour, and there was no place for the ship to dock in Miltenberg.  Regardless, it all worked out and we are now back sailing along the Main River.

It is very green on every side with trees right along the bank (which prevent a lot of picture taking) then fields on the flat and vineyards going up the hillsides and then trees again at the top along with an occasional castle or fortress..  Form time to time there are beaches and there is almost always someone in the water.  There are even a few boaters out today, which is unusual.  There is almost always a path along the river and there are bikers and walkers out enjoying the route.  There are a lot of campgrounds along the river and they seem very popular.  They tend to pack everyone in very close together but they all seem to be enjoying themselves.  

It's another wonderful day with lots of sun but some cloud to cool things off.  I haven't heard the actual temperature but it was supposed to be in the low 30's so quite nice as we cruise along.  I am at the front of the ship on the third deck in the shade - sitting with a slightly wet bathing suit on under my other clothes.  I decided to have a swim before lunch and after my swim I was almost dried off so I decided to go straight to lunch, which I also ate out here on the deck.  Breakfast was out here too.  In fact, all breakfasts and lunches have been eaten in the same place and it's beautiful.  Most people head inside to the dining room but that just doesn't interest me at all.  I know they have more choices in the dining room but the light breakfast and lunch that they serve in the lounge is just fine by me.  Maybe it's just easier decision making for me..

Miltenberg has a population of under 10,000 and, accordign tot he brochures, it is one of the prettiest and best-preserved medieval cities on the River Main.  Two thousand years ago the Romans had two fortresses here and there are some remains still on display.  However the town really flourished in the Middle Ages and became a focus for trade.  Many of the buildings in town date from the 15th to 17th centuries and they are in great shape.  There were a few that seemed to be on a slant or drooping but otherwise they all looked great.  

We started our walk close to the river and there was a big brick gate as you entered the city.  Later, as the ship sailed by, I realized there were several such gates in the town.  The main traffic street ran parallel to the pedestrian street that we walked down.  The pedestrian street is over a mile long and the section we walked down had lots of old buildings, some of them ornately decorated with stone carvings, wood work, and colourful paint.  At the street level, most of the buildings housed shops but people lived on the higher floors.  One of the oldest inns in Germany is the Giant Inn from around 1400, and several people tried the local beer and wine there during our free time.  Napolean once stayed here and so did Elvis.  We walked form one square to another.  

We had a great guide who had lots of tails to tell along the way.  At the fountain in the Market Square, she told us that the designer / builder went to the mayor, who lived right by the fountain, to get more money and the mayor said no.  The designer then changed the plans slightly and put some little boys playing around the centre of the pole above the fountain.  The one directly in front of the mayor's house is actually mooning the mayor's house so it's quite cute.  You'd miss it if you didn't know it was there but it is cute.

They once had about 100 Jews in Miltenberg and all but 10 of them escaped in the late 30's.  The other 10 decided to stay and of course they were taken away and ended up in Auschwitz and died there.  The old synagogue still stands as it was purchased by another person before the war.  The new synagogue was destroyed.  The cemetery still exists but is in need of repair.

After the tour some of us went up to Mildenburg Castle - and yes, the spelling is different but don't ask me why.  The castle itself is over 800 years old  and now houses a museum / gallery.  They were not open until the afternoon so we could not go in.  However, the views from the wall were fantastic.   I then went down to the museum.  Unfortunately I did not have time to d it justice because it was very large and informative.  It started n the Roman era starting in 2nd century AD and then covered the development of the area covering shipping and trade, religion, their own gold currency, everyday life, etc.  It was interesting to lear that Martin Luther spent some time in Miltenberg and Franconia, the state in Germany, is very Protestant.  Bavaria, the neighbouring state just a few minutes away,remained very Catholic. 

The day ended with a port talk just before dinner and then another great dinner.  The meals have been fantastic and the wine flows freely - normally from whatever country or area we are in.  I'm just hoping that all the walking we are doing and the uphill climbs to castles and fortresses will counter all the extra calories I'm eating and drinking.  After dinner tonight there was a disco night in the lounge so I did dance to a couple of the songs so maybe that will help too.  However, the music was just too loud for me so I gave up and came to the room for some peace and quiet.  I guess I'm definitely getting old, but I'm okay with that if it gets me out of really loud, noisy rooms and back to the serenity of my room and a good night's sleep.

Thursday, July 23rd - Wurtzburg, Germany

We had an easy start to our day as we were cruising until noon.  Breakfast late and on the bow terrace and then sat there for the rest of the morning.  It was a beautiful cruise through a beautiful countryside and very relaxing.

At 12:30 we boarded our buses and went directly to the Prince Bishop's Residence which was only a few minutes away but up a hill.  From there we were doing a walking tour and then making our own way back to the ship unless we really wanted the bus ride.  We didn't.

The Prince Bishop's Residence (Residenz) was huge.  As our guide said it was built to impress and it certainly would.  A Prince Bishop was simply a Bishop who was also given control of the city and/or area.  They really weren't all that important in the big scheme of things but they certainly liked to make it seems as if they were.  It was built in the18th century.  The entrance alone had enough room for a 8-horse carriage to come in one door and do a circle to deposit its occupants at the entry way before heading out another door.  The entrance staircase is then 5400 square feet with huge ceiling but no supporting columns over the central lower stair that splits both right and left for the second stairways.  And above it all is incredible fresco by Tiepolo, and the painting at 18 x 30 metres is said to be the largest int he world.  It represents the four  continents (Australia wasn't known yet) and the picture for the Americas is certainly a wild one with Lady America riding an alligator.  Come to think of it there wasn't really a north and south america so we really were the Americas.  Africa was pretty wild looking too and the elephant was slightly deformed.  That of course was blamed on the fact that the painter had never seen an elephant.  That excuse was used for a lot in the painting. We were just lumped together as the Americas..  Asia was a bit more civilized and educated Europe was definitely the most refined of all - at least in their opinion.  And all of this entrance stairway area, which some thought would collapse before it was even built, was the only part that totally survived the bombings and fires of WWII.

Other rooms are not as large but they are as decorated.  The rooms may have been blue, green, yellow, etc. in base colour but they all had a lot of gold in them.  And they all had a lot of stucco work, which was just incredible, and frescoes.  The mirror room was pretty reminiscent of Versailles but much smaller., and we were just in the visitor's suites.  Where the family actually lived the rooms were equally glorious so it must have been quite a life.  We didn't have a lot of time to take it al in so missed the Court Chapel and the Court Gardens which were supposed to be the highlights, but what we saw was certainly magnificent.  I'm sure the Empress Maria Theresa would have fest right at home when she visited. 

From the Residenz we walked through to the old town, which was very nice and much of it was pedestrian friendly.  We saw churches but didn't actually take the time to go in any.  We did talk a bit about the one with lots of skulls and bones on it, but I no longer remember what the significance was.  We saw the old City Hall and important squares and fountains and statues and buildings but I no longer remember what they were all about either.  And I'm writing this on the next day so you'd think I would remember!.

Our tour guide left us at the edge of the Old Main Bridge, which is a 16th century stone bridge with arches underneath for support.  Prior to that it was a wooden bridge. There are 12 statues on the bridge and thsy refer to them as the apostles even though some of them are very clearly bishops.  It is only a pedestrian bridge and there were definitely a lot of people on it.  However, they weren't really moving.  They were all just standing around or sitting on the edge of the bridge and drinking wine.  And they all had glass wine glasses.  In Wurtzburg you can drink anywhere you like and the local wine shops just sell the wine and then take a deposit for the glass.  You go wherever you would like to go to drink your wine and then return your glass when you are finished.  It certainly seems to work well and the place at the end of the bridge was always lined up with people waiting to get a drink.  It was a beautiful day and some of our folks stayed on the bridge and had several glasses of wine - fitting in just like the locals.  And the wine was only 2.5 euros or about $5 Cdn and the glass was large and filled to the brim  - at least 8 oz. os a great buy.

From there some of us walked up to the Marienberg Fortress, which was quite a walk up the hill.  We at least took the right path up but on the way down we took a different path and ended up going through a lovely green area with water parks and kids play areas and other unique features.  And once at the bottom we could figure out where we wanted to go so that was good.  The hill was first settled in the late Bronze Age and then had a small fort on in in the 8th century.  In 1200, a really large castle was built and it was extended over the years.  All around it are a series of defence walls that were built in the 17th century after the Swedes attacked.  The whole area was completely bombed out during the war and reconstruction was only completed in 1990.  There is a museum in the building now and we did a quick run through it.  They had some furniture, tapestries, paintings, coins, weapons, portraits, relics and religious vestments and other items on display.but they have very little in English so it doesn't take much time to go through when you can't read anything about the items.  As usual, one of the best parts about this fortress on a hill was the views.  And there was a great garden as well so that made for even more unique pictures.  We wondered around inside for a while and identified all the various buildings but didn't spend a lot of time in anything other than the museum.

We had to be back on board by 6:30 and had our usual port talk at 6:45 as we started sailing down the Main to Wertheim where we will arrive tomorrow morning.  We had a lovely long dinner.  It was Gillian's birthday so they gave our table champaign at the start of dinner and then at the end they had a cake with a really big sparkler on it and they all sang their version of Happy Birthday to her.  It was really nice but it did mean we had to eat a lot of dessert since we had already ordered what we wanted from the menu.  We were the last to leave the dining room and then we went up to our favourite terrace to spend the rest of the evening.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Wednesday, July 22nd - Bamberg

We arrived in Bamberg around 6:30 (so we were told) and we were up and had breakfast and off for our tour of the city at 9 a.m.  We had to go by bus for a 10-minute drive because the canal where we are parked is definitely in the industrial area.  It was quiet as we were the only ship docked but the businesses on the side were at times making some noise.  However, breakfast on the front deck was still very enjoyable.

Our tour  started in the Green Market, which aptly enough is where fruits and vegetables and flowers are sold.  It is not a very big market in comparison to other markets we have seen but the produce on display was very colourful and looked delicious.  Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, watermelon, apricots, etc. on the fruit side and onions, radishes, potatoes, broccoli, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, etc. on the vegetable side.   The market is in a great location close to the river and close to both the old town and the new town so it is handy for everyone.  And it is on the north side of the river where most of the agricultural land is.  There is also a statue of Neptune or Poseidon in the square but they just call it the man with a fork because that's what the town folk called it years ago when they didn't know who Neptune or Poseidon were.  And this spot was our meeting place for the end of the tour so it was pretty easy to find.

Our next stop was the Old City Hall, which is constructed in the middle of a bridge.  Apparently the bishop, who was in control of the city as well as the church, didn't like the thought of them building a city hall and having control over any of the city's affairs. His solution to keep them happy was to give them permission to build the city hall but to tell them they could not build it on any city property.  So one night they put down some pilings and built the city hall in the river, which the bishop did not control.  The building went up in the 15th century and in the 17th century frescoes were added on the outer walls of the building, and it really is quite impressive - and unique.  One of the pictures on the outside even has a plaster leg sticking out of the wall and pointing to the painter's signature.

From there we walked up the hill to the Imperial Cathedral, the Old Court, the New Residence and the Rose Garden.  The Cathedral is also known as the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. George and the current building was built in the 13th century to replace Emperor Henry II's cathedral that was destroyed by a fire.  It is a combination of Romanesque and Gothic structures.  Inside there is a statue of a horse and rider from the 13th century that is said to be St. Stephen of Hungary.  The finely sculptured tomb of Henry II and his wife Kunigunde and the humble tomb of Pope Clement II are also in this part of the church. The church itself has a high vaulted ceiling and lots of arches but the walls are basically plain stone.  Along the outer walls there are many paintings and sculptures and the front Mary altar is small but nice, leaving the large arched glass windows to be the main adornment.

To the one side of the cathedral is the 15th and 16th century Old Court or former residence of the bishop.  It is a very impressive Renaissance building on the outside and now a historical museum on the inside, which we didn't take time to visit.  The large New Residence is just beside it and it is now a museum that shows how ornnate the rooms were at one time  It looked really interesting but we didn't have time to take the next tour that lasted an hour so we had to pass that by too.  Behind it there was a beautiful rose garden and park with a fantastic view of the city.

At this point our walking tour ended and we had some free time so all went our own way.  I decided to head up to Michelsberg and see st. MIchael's Abbey.  The church and courtyard were very nice but currently under renovation so you couldn't actually go in to see the Baroque interior.  I think the whole area is now a brewery or brewery museum but it would have been nice to see inside anyway.  The garden behind did give me some more great views of the city and a path and stairs back down to the old town.  Once back down by the river I had a wonderful view of Little Venice, a group of fishermen's houses on the other side of the river - very pretty and definitely Venetian looking on the waterway.

I crossed the bridge and walked through Little Venice back to our meeting point and arrived with a few minutes to spare so I paid a visit to St. Martin's Church.  It too is under renovation so it's a bit hard trying to get a real feel for these places.  It was definitely a lot smaller and darker than some of the churches we have been in.  The group was gathered so we headed back to the buses and our ship which was awaiting us at the canal.  After a quick dip in the pool to cool off and lunch, we set sail for our next destination.

Bamberg is known as  the historic city built on seven hills and tries to compare itself to Rome.  It was established in the late 10th century, if not before, and because it was a relatively unimportant city it survived WWII relatively unharmed.  The old original buildings are now a UNESCO world heritage site and strolling through the streets is a real treat.  Of course they are also well known for their smoked beer but I didn't bother too give that a try.

We went through the Bamberg lock as we left the city.  It has a 33 foot rise/fall and it is definitely not one of the fast-filling locks as it took us quite a while to get through.  It was as tight as any other lock though and we did do a fair bit of bumping off both sides.  The upper deck is still closed because of low bridges but we're hoping that changes soon as we get off the Rhine/Main/Danube canal and on to the Main and Rhine rivers.  It will take us until noon tomorrow to get to Wurtzburg for our next stop.

Well, I've just discovered that we are now in the Main River but it still has lots of locks.  We seem to hit one about every half hour.  The sides of the river are busy with summer campers and swimmers and fishermen and boaters.  While we stay in the main channel, there are many smaller bays and streams and they all look so inviting.  The countryside was really green when we set out and there were vineyards and green fields in the distance.  By the end of the day it was looking less green and lush along the river but still very nice.  We had a thunderstorm and rain while we were eating dinner and in the evening.  That meant there were very few places outside that you could go and stay dry.  We found the one possible place and sat out there by ourselves enjoying the evening.  Hopefully the rain will reduce the humidity and temperature a bit because it really has been just a bit too hot.  Today when we got back on the bus to return to the ship it was 38 degrees.  The pool felt incredibly nice when we got back.

Tuesday, July 21st - Nuremberg, Germany

Another sailing morning so no rush to get up.  We slept in a bit and didn't make it to the deck for breakfast until just after 8 a.m.  That would have been fine because we were expected to cross the highest lock mid morning.  However, with no other traffic on the waterway we apparently made great time through the locks so we are again several hours ahead of schedule so we missed the highest lock, which was about 7 a.m.  

The first lock we saw came about 9:30 and it was pretty impressive.   The Eibach lock has a drop of about 65 feet.  As we approached the lock we were that much higher plus the height of the ship so it looked like the end of the world ahead as we couldn't see anything except the door at the end of the lock.  We all thought Christopher Columbus must have felt much the same when he thought the world was flat.  It was a single width lock again so we just fit in with a few inches to spare on each side.  As we stopped at the front of the dock we could see trucks driving over a road below the front of the lock and that gave us a perspective of how far we were going down because we were going to have to drop below the level of the road to go through.  

The cement wall in front of us seemed very formidable and as we sank slowly into the lock you definitely knew you were going down as it got darker and darker on all sides.  The captain opened the upper deck so people could get a better view but just as we approached the bottom he came on the speaker and apologized that everyone would have to leave again so they could get ready to go under the big cement wall in front of us.  That was a bit of a surprise as I assumed it would go up or swing open or something, but in fact the concrete wall stayed stationery and the part below it rose up in front of it so that we sailed out under the concrete wall with not more than a few inches to spare.  As soon as the people came down the stairs from the upper deck you heard the railings being lowered so we could clear the lock.  And as the bottom part slid up the sunlight came in and we could see the water and the rest of the world beyond.  It was quite amazing and with 16 locks on this section - anywhere from 28 to 82 feet in depth change - the whole system is quite spectacular.  For the bigger locks with depth changes of over 55 feet, they have extra canals to hold the water beside the lock and extra conduits to let the water back in.  The locks fill at a rate of 5.5 feet per minute and there is no turbulence in the lock, and they don't need extra pumps to accomplish this so it's quite amazing.

We arrived in Nuremberg around noon and after lunch we boarded our buses for our city tour.  All three buses were going to most of the same places but the first two buses got free time to go to the market place while our third bus was going to the Documentation Centre.  Nuremberg was a Free City in the 13th century (whatever that means) and had special status.  The German crown jewels were stored here for over 300 years and it was the location of the first parliament presided over by every newly elected German king.  The city was also a major centre for the arts.  Unfortunately it was also a perfect place for the Nazi party and that is how it is remembered by many people today.  During WWII 90% of the buildings in the city were damaged and 75% of the old city was reduced to rubble.  The Nuremberg Trials in the late 40's ended that part of the city's history and the city was rebuilt starting in the 50's.

We had a great tour guide who gave us a great talk about the history and culture as we drove along in the bus.  Our first stop of the tour was at the Palace of Justice where the Nuremberg Trials were held.  We could not go in the facility as it is still an active courthouse.  The prison where they held the prisoners was just behind and there was a special pathway for them to get from the prison to the court room for the trial, and the gallows were supposedly just behind that.  We didn't stay long and there wasn't much to see but the importance of the history that was made (or heard) in this place was not missed by anyone.

Our next stop was at the castle and fortification built in the 11th century.  Strangely enough it was called a castle but no one really ever lived there.  Apparently when important dignitaries came to town and they wanted to really impress them, then they moved their furniture and everything into the castle for the duration of the stay but then moved it back home later.  The fortification around the castle is immense.  There are three different levels of hight walls around a dry moat and a series of 80 towers ran the length of the whole fortification wall around the city.  The views from the terrace of the castle are fantastic but we did not have time to go into any of the specific areas within the complex.

Our next stop was at Zepellinfed, a long stadium-like facility beside a lovely lake.  While it now looks tranquil, this was once the rallying place for the Nazis and Hitter could pack about 50,000 people in and fire up the crowd to suit his purposes.  It is a huge grandstand and then acres of fields where the people would gather to hear him.  On the other side of the lake is the never totally complete New Congress Hall.  Hitler also used this to gather the masses together and the facility is designed after the Coliseum in Rome but much bigger.  The Coliseum can actually fit entirely inside the Congress Hall walls.  Now, within the completed parts of the building, you can find the Documentation Centre that covers the rise and fall of the Third Reich from the 20's to the 50's.  The Centre is very well done and you really need a half a day or more to see and hear it all.  We only had an hour and a half so we had to pick and choose what we listened to.  It is all a truly amazing story, not one you really want to hear or see, but one that must be told nonetheless.  I found it really interesting and truly wished we could have had more time.  I was never much for history in school but the way Hitler took power always amazes me.  The whole exhibit was moving and informative and told/shown in a very unbiased way.  I'm sure a lot of people learn a great deal from it.

I'm sure we saw other sights from our bus but I know longer remember what they were.  There were a lot of old buildings and a lot of new.  Our guide tried to help us distinguish between the two but it wasn't as easy as you might think.  Anyway, our tour ended and we all arrived back on board around 6 p.m. so just had time for a quick dip in the pool before the port talk and dinner.  None of us lasted very long after that so it was an early night for almost everyone.